Charles W. Stenholm: “I am a great supporter of WIC. It does wonderful things for people that need wonderful things done for them. This bill…”

“I am a great supporter of WIC. It does wonderful things for people that need wonderful things done for them. This bill, as presented to us, increases by $118 million the amount of dollars in the WIC Program. If it will take more, I will be glad to join with my colleagues in supporting more. But let me remind all of us, we are dealing with tight budgets. That means we have got to scrutinize all programs, including the good ones, if we are going to do our job. In regard to crop insurance, I am a great supporter of crop insurance. We have some terrific problems, and time will not permit me to talk about some of the frustrations I have with the crop insurance program today. But this is not the time and the place to revise and reform the crop insurance program. That belongs in the authorizing committee, and we are going to do that. Let me remind everyone in regard to agents, right now we are racheting down the reimbursement rate for crop insurance agents from 31 percent to 29 percent. We are scheduled to go to 28 percent in 1997. This bill takes it to 27 percent 1 year earlier.”